27/11/2024
THE DANGEROUS REALITY OF PET FOOD STORAGE CONTAINERS
Whether in a pet shop, box store, or online, pet food storage containers are being offered everywhere. Heck, at expos and trade shows they are given away to market a company’s brand name! However, these storage containers can be deadly if used incorrectly!
We all grew up in the age of Tupperware and storing our food in plastic containers. I mean, storage containers were designed to preserve foods, help organize our kitchens, and make our lives easier. Right?
Well, with the amount of information made available to us today, this thought process has changed quickly! With all the research that has been published on eating food out of plastic, that era of using plastic awesomeness has officially died!
Today, more and more families are throwing out their plastic food storage containers (recycle!) and switching to safer alternatives.
But what about our furry companions? Are they receiving the same consideration when it comes to food storage?
Not according to research, they aren’t!
Today, retail shelves are littered with storage containers for dry and wet pet foods; from products like snap & seals and air-tight stackables, to plastic storage carts on wheels.
WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL?
Let’s start with the obvious:
Research has shown that certain plastic containers leach an assortment of chemicals into our foods and, of course, pet foods! Chemicals in plastic like BPA have been shown to have hormone mimicking, estrogenic and cancer properties.
“Ok. No problem,” you may say, because as we know BPA has been taken out of some plastic storage containers and replaced with a different chemical called bisphenol-S (BPS).
But according to science, BPS appears to be just as toxic (if not more so) than BPA.
“In 2013, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch discovered that even minute concentrations—less than one part per trillion—of BPS can disrupt cellular functioning. Metabolic disorders like obesity, diabetes, and even cancer, are potential ramifications of such disruptions.” – Mercola https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130122191412.htm
TO KEEP RAINING ON THE STORAGE CONTAINER PARADE -
Pet food containers have phthalates & estrogenic activity going on!
In the Environmental Health Perspectives study, they found that out of 500 plastic products they tested, plastics leached when stressed, and 90 percent of them leached even without stress. In fact, the Environmental Health Perspectives study found that some BPA-free products had even more estrogenic activity than BPA-containing products! - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3222987/
Here’s some more rain - Lest we forget phthalates!
Phthalates, which are used as plasticizers in everything, and especially pet food storage containers, have shown to be super-destructive!
“These chemicals have disrupted the endocrine systems of wildlife, causing testicular cancer, ge***al deformations, low s***m counts, and infertility in polar bears, deer, whales, and otters, just to name a few.” - Dr. Karen Becker
OK, NOW FOR THE WHOPPER OF A PROBLEM!
Are you washing your pet food container daily??
When the fats and oils of kibble hit the walls of pet food containers, they begin to oxidize (especially in the plastic ones).
Once the reaction starts, it is self propagating and unstoppable. The oxidation reaction creates free radicals that oxidize fat molecules. The inevitable result is an avalanche of oxidation, and like nearly all-chemical reactions in nature, the warmer the conditions the faster it goes.
In layman terms: over time, the residual fats and oils that have settled along the walls and bottom of the storage container start to grow rancid and develop the invisible molds that will aid in the destruction of your pet’s health. That greasiness along the walls of your container is not so awesome!
According to Pet food formulator (maker) Steve Brown:
“As soon as a food is manufactured, it begins to undergo a variety of chemical and physical changes. It’s a basic law of the universe that everything degrades over time. This includes the proteins and vitamins in dog foods, but it’s the fats I worry about the most. Fats are among the most chemically fragile nutrients in dog food; they are the limiting factor to the shelf life of most dog foods. Fats that have degraded – gone “rancid” – can cause all sorts of health problems for dogs.”
WHY DO YOU NEED TO WASH PET FOOD STORAGE BINS DAILY?
Answer: Because plastic containers have tiny little microscopic pores!
When these fats get trapped in the pores, over time, they too will also grow rancid and contaminate each new batch of food poured into the containers. (Pet parents unknowingly keep pouring new bags of food in the containers, over and over, without washing out the rancid-formed fats and molds!)
Moral of the story:
Try to avoid using a plastic container to store kibble. However, if you already purchased the container, keep the food in its original bag and place that bag into the plastic container. This will help keep oxygen away from degrading the kibble, and saves you the giant disaster that could occur. (Remember to wash that container periodically.)
OR
A BETTER ROUTE TO TAKE: CHOOSE GLASS OVER PLASTIC
To avoid chemical toxins leaching into your pet food, choose glass over plastic when choosing a storage method. Glass pet food storage containers don’t leach unwanted, poisonous chemicals when in contact with pet food. Glass containers are non-porous and won’t absorb rancid oils. However, you should still wash these containers regularly.
OR
Just buy smaller bags of pet food so there is no need for these toxic containers in the first place. :)
Rodney Habib
"An educated, informed and well-researched community of pet owners can only put more pressure on the pet food industry to be better! When pet owners know better, they will only do better!"
